Latest Breaking News

procon

(15,805 posts)

38. Waller County sheriff has a history of racism with another inmate found hanged in a cell

Mon Jul 20, 2015, 10:13 PM

Jul 2015

These local police departments directly reflect the views everyone living there. The culture of racism is well entrenched and cannot be changed from within. It must be forced to change by outside powers. This elected Sheriff is the prime example of leadership in that jail.

"In 2007, Smith was suspended for two weeks without pay by the city council, ordered to take anger management classes and placed on probation for six months after residents made allegations of racist behaviour against him and four other white officers following an arrest in which he swore at and manhandled a black suspect.

The Houston Chronicle reported that he was fired in March 2008, after more accusations of inappropriate conduct against the police department including humiliating strip-searches of young black people. Yet later that year the Republican was elected as Waller County’s sheriff. He was re-elected in November 2012, the same month James Howell, a 29-year-old inmate, was found hanged in a cell at the Waller County jail in an apparent suicide.

Smith was previously chief sheriff’s deputy in another area notorious for racial divisions, Sabine County in east Texas, on the Louisiana border. It attracted national attention in 1988 when three white former police officers were found guilty of beating a black inmate to death in the county jail.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/17/sandra-bland-alleged-suicide-waller-county-texas-racism

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

117 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Sandra Bland's Death Now Being Investigated as a Murder [View all] blogslut Jul 2015 OP

Good Kalidurga Jul 2015 #1

A good start, but still hard to trust the known racists in charge of the 'investigation'. -nt- 99th_Monkey Jul 2015 #2

True. (nt) enough Jul 2015 #3

Hasn't the FBI been called in to help? BillZBubb Jul 2015 #4

Yes cstanleytech Jul 2015 #6

Which may be the only reason the word "murder" is starting 99th_Monkey Jul 2015 #13

At this point thats all it is though, a word. cstanleytech Jul 2015 #53

Her family and friends seem very certain that it was not suicide 99th_Monkey Jul 2015 #55

Not everyone who thinks about suicide alot tells their family though cstanleytech Jul 2015 #57

Well, I for one don't buy it. -nt- 99th_Monkey Jul 2015 #59

I never said you had to or that it was impossible because not much is impossible in cstanleytech Jul 2015 #60

Not much is impossible 99th_Monkey Jul 2015 #61

Did they know about the 30!!1!!! cut marks on her arm? XemaSab Jul 2015 #115

Well its a good thing she has family then, hopefully they and their attorneys cstanleytech Jul 2015 #5

true that heaven05 Jul 2015 #10

Who are the known racists? Henryville Jul 2015 #22

The Sheriff. KeepItReal Jul 2015 #41

and the District Attorney virtualobserver Jul 2015 #47

FFS!!!! KeepItReal Jul 2015 #49

No, this case has to be turned over to the DOJ Warpy Jul 2015 #28

My thought, too. nt valerief Jul 2015 #29

In law, there is a presumption against suicide. no_hypocrisy Jul 2015 #7

First off, suicide is not a crime jberryhill Jul 2015 #103

I was referring to designating a death no_hypocrisy Jul 2015 #106

Dash camera video to be released tomorrow madville Jul 2015 #8

She had every right to be combative the way the cop treated her. BillZBubb Jul 2015 #12

If black, that most often describes someone who is "uppity". But that won't pass review, so they jtuck004 Jul 2015 #18

Which is more consistent with a motive for mistreatment arely staircase Jul 2015 #20

Here's the arrest -She is an activist, and the ass clown cop has his knee jtuck004 Jul 2015 #21

The dash camera tomorrow will show what happened prior to that point madville Jul 2015 #25

I heard that she told someone that the cop actually dragged her out of the car through the jwirr Jul 2015 #31

Wasn't it said that the cop tried to drag Boudica the Lyoness Jul 2015 #102

She apparently was active in Black Lives Matter. Chemisse Jul 2015 #79

I bet they googled her and knew it. They should check their computer searches. bettyellen Jul 2015 #85

They Googled her Boudica the Lyoness Jul 2015 #104

Has there been a second autopsy? And I wonder how marks differ when one is strangled manually jtuck004 Jul 2015 #9

I heard on news this a.m. that LiberalElite Jul 2015 #15

the sheriffs dept and all concerned heaven05 Jul 2015 #16

BLM needs to start it up with republican candidates. BillZBubb Jul 2015 #23

natural allies heaven05 Jul 2015 #24

Maybe get after people in office today, onecaliberal Jul 2015 #26

done that heaven05 Jul 2015 #75

there was a hallway camera that showed nobody entered her cell Travis_0004 Jul 2015 #51

I don't recall it saing that it recorded if she was responsive, or if they just dragged her body jtuck004 Jul 2015 #56

I would be happy if they brought in someone from out of state artislife Jul 2015 #11

about fucking time. blackspade Jul 2015 #14

I hate to say this, but zentrum Jul 2015 #17

I agree. jwirr Jul 2015 #33

I would think the autopsy might shed light on that also. However, if the law enforcement abused her still_one Jul 2015 #19

There is no evidence that she killed herself. Other than quotes from the police. n/t jtuck004 Jul 2015 #27

I know, I was just "what ifing. In fact the evidence contradicts that she would have taken her own still_one Jul 2015 #30

Yeah, I think everything around it calls it into question. What I can't find is anything jtuck004 Jul 2015 #32

That is why Sandra Bland's family wants an independent autopsy done. I agree with everything you still_one Jul 2015 #35

I am assuming that she signed a lease for an apartment and paid the first month and DhhD Jul 2015 #37

the only reason i can think of restorefreedom Jul 2015 #40

One moment please. cstanleytech Jul 2015 #65

someone had suggested a head injury restorefreedom Jul 2015 #73

So your basing this on a suggestion? Really? cstanleytech Jul 2015 #98

i guess my point was restorefreedom Jul 2015 #101

And this is why annabanana Jul 2015 #34

The circumstantial evidence is enormous that it was Murder nikto Jul 2015 #36

And what circumstantial evidence would that be exactly? cstanleytech Jul 2015 #67

Perhaps you just need to read more about the case (?) nikto Jul 2015 #108

I can only form an opinion by what I am presented and in this cstanleytech Jul 2015 #109

None of my business, but... nikto Jul 2015 #110

I'll be very surprised if they get convicted of anything. I hope I'm wrong. lostnfound Jul 2015 #71

For Texas, those cops look just a little too white to be convicted nikto Jul 2015 #111

Waller County sheriff has a history of racism with another inmate found hanged in a cell procon Jul 2015 #38

East Texas is a KKK hotbed n/t TexasBushwhacker Jul 2015 #39

Good Gothmog Jul 2015 #42

Why the F was she in jail for THREE DAYS? nt Damansarajaya Jul 2015 #43

$5000 bail KeepItReal Jul 2015 #50

Unfucking real. Starry Messenger Jul 2015 #64

I don't know much about bail but $5k seems like a LOT for a traffic violation riderinthestorm Jul 2015 #76

The $5,000 bail was for alleged assault on an officer, and then for resisting arrest Reter Jul 2015 #77

Ah, thanks. Even more important to see the dash cam video today then riderinthestorm Jul 2015 #78

Should have been 500 . . . nt Damansarajaya Jul 2015 #112

Good Owl Jul 2015 #44

If only we had a black president, this shit would get investigated! Hey, wait a minute . . . nt Damansarajaya Jul 2015 #45

Rec! progressoid Jul 2015 #46

Wonder if any right wingers are claiming she committed suicide to make the cops look bad. Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2015 #48

I would assume her depression and ptsd is low hanging fruit Travis_0004 Jul 2015 #54

Message auto-removed Name removed Jul 2015 #91

Only if they do an honest investigation.... Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2015 #93

Thank god this is getting the media attention it is Hydra Jul 2015 #52

Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Jul 2015 #58

AP: Texas officials release video footage in woman's jail death alp227 Jul 2015 #62

Secede Texas. Secede. IHateTheGOP Jul 2015 #63

Yes, because we are ALL just like the officers in Hempstead. kentauros Jul 2015 #68

Very good news that a murder investigation has been opened. stranger81 Jul 2015 #66

IMO it's more than murder--it's a political assassination n/t eridani Jul 2015 #69

something happened and someone didn't want it to come to light. barbtries Jul 2015 #70

A far more likely scenario... gregcrawford Jul 2015 #72

Medical examiner ruled suicide....yeah right. BlancheSplanchnik Jul 2015 #74

Tough to prove murder after one medical examiner ruled it a suicide. tclambert Jul 2015 #80

We need to use all the most advanced forensic tools and ASAP Babel_17 Jul 2015 #81

Good !!! - K & R !!! WillyT Jul 2015 #82

Message auto-removed Name removed Jul 2015 #83

How did she end up in jail for a "improper lane change"?? Elmer S. E. Dump Jul 2015 #84

poor, sweet, innocent girl. too many are murdered by cops samsingh Jul 2015 #86

after reading all these posts tapermaker Jul 2015 #87

Message auto-removed Name removed Jul 2015 #89

thats even more hard to believe tapermaker Jul 2015 #92

Good. n/t geardaddy Jul 2015 #88

The press is mis-reporting the "murder investigation". Akicita Jul 2015 #90

Message auto-removed Name removed Jul 2015 #95

Some questions and observations Akicita Jul 2015 #94

This reminds me of South Africa during Apartheid LiberalLovinLug Jul 2015 #96

Sandra stood to gain a hefty settlement against the police for civil rights violations Demeter Jul 2015 #97

Sandra was profiled on social media once arrested, then bastards murdered her. Anansi1171 Jul 2015 #99

I wonder.... smiley Jul 2015 #100

I'm hearing that the jail staff that day were black Boudica the Lyoness Jul 2015 #105

So what? The Nazi used Jewish prisoners to Damansarajaya Jul 2015 #113

So you think the cops told the black jailers to kill her? Boudica the Lyoness Jul 2015 #114

I don't think that the guards killed Sandra Bland. Damansarajaya Jul 2015 #116

Black folks are not oppressed in the United States? kwassa Jul 2015 #117

kick Liberal_in_LA Jul 2015 #107